Another safe tug haven for Port Hedland

Following on from the award of a new towage licence in the world’s largest bulk export port, IMC has been engaged to provide its specialist expertise to the design of a new tug haven.

Pilbara Marine, a wholly owned subsidiary of mining company Fortescue Metals Group, won the tender for the second towage licence at the Port of Port Hedland in May 2016. Under the terms of the licence, it is constructing marine and landside facilities for a new tug haven behind Anderson Point berths 1 to 3 and is providing towage services for an initial term of 15years.

IMC’s multi-disciplinary design and analysis capability has previously been used by the existing towage licence holder, BHP Billiton, to analyse mooring arrangements for its fleet in Port Hedland. Under contract to Decmil BESIX Joint Venture, similar analyses and engineering work has been undertaken at IMC’s offices to support the Pilbara Marine development, which includes pontoons and pens for nine tugs (expandable to 13), cyclone moorings including standalone piles, and a service berth.

Demonstrating the high level of capability IMC applies to these activities, the Pilbara Marine tug haven project is being undertaken by IMC’s Dr Winnie Wen, a maritime design engineer with a PhD in Physical Oceanography and Masters in Coastal and Offshore Engineering.

Wen, who has worked at IMC for nearly eight years, said: “Of course we are able to employ the same principles and techniques we have used on similar harbour design projects, including those for BHP Billiton. That’s a benefit of our experience.

"However that doesn’t make it a simple task. We still have to account for the different location, vessels and so on. Our solution for Pilbara Marine will be optimised for its specific circumstances and requirements,” she said.

Pilbara Marine has placed an order for six 32 metre Rotor Tugs to support the new Port Hedland operation. IMC has also been engaged by Pilbara Marine to oversee construction and commissioning of those vessels (read more).